Manipulative Empathy
by millecamp07
Summary: Post Season 3, How will Piper and Alex interact after the run in with Kubra's assasin? Is Alex even alive? and will Piper stop her manipulative ways? (Will include a variety of OITNB characters all focused on Vauseman relationship. Enjoy!)
1. Nightmares

**Piper's POV**

There she was standing in front of me like a dream. Is this actually happening? I move toward her but she just pushes past me, so maybe it is a dream after all. To test my luck I call out for her, "Alex!" I wait and nothing happens so I try again while running after this possible ghost, "Alex, wait!" Finally, she begins to turn around and…

"Piper, wake up!" I open my eyes and see Red standing above me. "Are you trying to wake up the whole damn prison?" She whispers in her thick Russian accent. "You had another dream of her." I simply nodded my head yes, in order to help me ground myself back to reality. I got so close to her this time Red, as if she were actually here. This is driving me crazy. They refuse to tell me anything about her. I don't even know if she's alive." "Well you won't find you while screaming in your dreams, so try to dream about something else and you can think about her all you want in the morning." I just stared at Red not sure if out of anger or out of understanding and the desire for my nightmares to stop. I turn around and try my best to think of something else, like my panty operation, but that just makes me think of Stella and how I fucked up and picked her over Alex. All of a sudden wrestling my mind away from yet another awful memory of my manipulative ways, I hear Red whisper, "I'm sure she is ok Piper."

I stretch out after hearing our call to get up. I throw my legs over the bed and am painfully reminded that Alex isn't here. After weeks of nightmares, I always have this brief feeling as though everything was normal and life was fine and then much like a crash it falls away. Ignorance is bliss. So I get up and grab my stuff for the morning and get ready for another day.

So far it has been a typical day at Linchfield. It's pretty much what anyone could expect from a bunch of caged up women. Though we did get new inmates today and well I haven't heard anything about Alex. Red has been incredibly nice to me, alarmingly so. I just walked into the cafeteria for dinner and she had the girls give me an extra…Wait a minute, who is that? Alex? Great, so now my daydreams are becoming nightmares too. It must be someone else; I mean it was just the back of someone's head walking out. Fuck, I can't take this; I need to check if it was Alex. So I run out and of course the guard yells at me for running, but once I turn the corner I see her again.

I feel crazy. I'm following this woman who probably isn't even Alex and now she is heading into the bathroom. I slow down my pace so I don't creep her out, even though now I am just awkwardly washing my hands painfully slow. The door opens and I hold my breath, Alex? Of course not, it's just some new inmate. I walk out of the bathroom angry at myself for getting my hopes up and disappointed that it wasn't her. As I turn the corner, I crash head on into someone and fall to the ground and all I hear is the person yelling a painful drawn out, "FUCK!" At that moment my heart falls to my stomach and I force myself to look at the person I just knocked over. Alex.


	2. Back from the Dead

**Alex POV**

I haven't been here for more than a day and already some dumb fuck isn't looking where they are going and now my arm in excruciating pain. God, I can't believe the things that have happened. It's been a bit more than a month but I can still feel and hear every punch, kick, and break of my bones. I knew Kubra would send someone for me. Thankfully though he knocked me unconscious so it looked as though I was dead. Well I mean I nearly was. So for all they know, I'm dead. Maybe I do have some luck after all.

I had a lot of time to thing about everything in the hospital and yet I am still terrified to see Piper. I'll never forget when she yelled at me after finding out I named her, "I love you Alex, I love you and I fucking hate you." That's basically how I feel now most days but then I started to think that Kubra would have found me either way and at least I was in a place with guards, even the incompetent Linchfield breed.

As I begin to get out of my thoughts, I feel the searing pain and can't help but notice that the dumbass who ran into me still hasn't gotten off of me. "Get the fuck off me," I yell. Right as I do, I look into the very bright blue eyes I have been scared to see. Piper.


	3. Glances

**Piper POV**

How could she be more beautiful than before and in my dreams? But she is bruises and all. I hear her yell at me and immediately get out of my head and help her get up. "Hi, you're alive," is all I can muster up as I look her over. I try so hard not to touch her bruises to try and take her pain away as if stupidly thinking my touch could help her. I go to say I'm sorry and just as I open my mouth, she walks away pushing past me just like my dream. "Alex! Please!" But she is gone, out of my sight. I mean she couldn't go very far we are in a fucking prison for Christ sake, but for some reason I don't run after her. We are always doing that. Turning away and watching the other walk away. Fuck! I know it was stupid and awful to have ratted her out but part of me was still so angry and the other part truly thought I was keeping her safe and now look, she was right all along. But wow! She is alive! My nightmares turned hope became a reality. I can deal with her walking away simply because she is alive!

 **Alex POV**

Once I saw her face and heard her speak, my resolve broke and I could feel myself succumb to all the pain, hurt, and even the joy of seeing her. I couldn't give her that power to see me like that. Especially since she has taken so much from me. So I walked away. I just couldn't handle hearing her apology or really anything for that matter. I can't help but think that it will be a part of her manipulative game, but who am I kidding I have willingly played that game so many times just so I could be with her. I can't deal with this tonight, and anyway its lights out pretty soon.

Waking up is the worst feeling now simply because my bones wake up soar from sleeping and the bruises are just throbbing in pain. I need a shower. Of course though in prison, hot water isn't really a luxury we have so I'm forced to settle on lukewarm soon to be cold water. The pain is so great that I can't really think of anything so I just massage where it hurts the most right now, my left shoulder. As I do that I can't help but feel someone's eyes watching me as I wince in pain. Of course, I look up and there she is stopped in her tracks looking at me taking in my bruised body. Are those tears in her eyes? Like she has the right to cry when she was the one who put me in here.

I turn off the shower; look at her with an intense look that should her to fuck off. I wrap my towel around me and push her out of my way. I get dressed and sit on my bed and all of a sudden I feel hands on my shoulder and after a brief second of pain, it feels amazing. I look up and its Lorna. We've never been incredibly close but we are there for each other when it counts. "You know, she's had nightmares for weeks, screaming your name. Wakes us all up in the middle of the night. We all thought you were dead Alex. I know she id a fucked up thing but you know you could have been left to die by yourself at home, so count your blessings. She may be manipulative but one thing is for sure, she loves you." Lorna can be possessive and delusional but every now and then she says some pretty wise things. "Thanks Lorna, its just hard you know. I mean look at me. I look like a fucked up walking bruise that's been mauled. So when I look in the mirror I feel nothing but anger. I love her and I don't think I could ever stop loving her, but I can't trust her." "I know," Lorna says while giving me a look of sympathy with a hint of a challenge in her eyes. "Can you get my right shoulder? Please?" "Sure thing Vause."


	4. Games Are Overrated

Piper POV

I know I fucked up but god I wish she would just talk to me. Hell at this point I would settle for getting to breathe next to her, but no she has been treating me like I don't even exist for weeks now. I can't take it anymore. It was worse than when I hadn't heard from her because then I had hope that she was alive and that she would come back to me, but now I have nothing, absolutely nothing. She has all the control back just like she wanted and now I feel helpless. God just fucking talk to me! "Chapman I told you to get to work," said Officer Luschek. "Wait, what?" I said trying to think back to what he had asked me to do." "Jesus Chapman this isn't recess go work on the fucking maintenance request in the laundry room, don't make me write you a fucking shot." "What needs to be fixed?" "Hell if I know, just figure it out." I am so sick and tired of Luschek, hell I am sick and tired of everything at this point.

As I walk to the laundry unit I can't help but think of Alex when she tried helping me fix the dryer. That was the first time we really talked after everything blew up. I'll never forget when she told me, "No Piper don't you fucking leave me." God that broke my heart hearing her say that. I never meant to hurt her when I left her that day so many years ago. I just couldn't live the drug smuggler life anymore and she refused to see that, but then again I refused to look past myself and see that she just needed me. Fuck, I really can be a selfish manipulative bitch.

"Hey, what needs maintenance work in here? Luschek sent me," I yell so that someone can hear me. Lately, I just don't give a shit about manners and decorum anymore, especially after being in this hellhole. "The light bulb from the fixture over here shattered, fucking meth heads were looking for drugs or something and it broke." "Alex?" Why is she here? "Yeah, don't be so surprised. I got my work orders in and they put me back on laundry duty since it's less strenuous than yard work they said. They're trying to make up for their stupidity of hiring a trained assassin that tried to kill me. I'll take it." I can't believe she is actually talking to me. She's been ignoring me like the plague and now all of a sudden she tells me a whole fucking story? She has been turning her back to me every time I try going to her bunk to talk to her and gets up every time I try sitting with her, but now all of a sudden she is playing nice? "Nice," is all I say out of anger.

I go to the closet and fish out a bulb but suddenly a whole self crashes to the floor, "Shit. Shit. Shit. God damnit I don't have time for this shit." "Why, got a lot of fun things planned for today's night in prison?" she says as she comes by my side to help me pick stuff off the ground and smiles at me. "Fuck you." "Geez, ok I was just kidding. What's your problem?" "What's my problem Alex? Are you fucking serious? What's my problem? That's rich." "I was just—" "Alex you almost died. Do you hear me? _You almost died._ God Alex I could have lost you forever and yeah it would have been my fault because I forced you back to this places, but it was because I fucking love you. Not to mention that you were the one who ratted out Kubra. We decided that we weren't going to but you lied to me. So I thought I was saving you from living alone in a dump in Queens terrified of living alone and going outside. So I wanted you here with me where you were safer. Yeah I can be manipulative and I probably could have gone about it differently or just left you the fuck alone, but God I missed you so much Alex. I finally had you back in my life at a time that I didn't even know I needed you. And now?! Now you pretend I don't exist, you shut me out and completely ignore every apology I make. It's like you lived but you killed me off in the process. Do you have any idea what it felt like to be in here and not know where you were or whether you were alive. I didn't know anything for a month! I was going crazy thinking about what happened and then one day you were here and it was like a fucking dream. I get that you are mad at me Alex but this game you are playing with me of treating me like I am invisible and then all of sudden acting like nothing happened, needs to stop. You won, you got your control back. Congratulations. " I walk out fuming with anger realizing that I finally said everything I felt. Oh shit I forgot the fucking light bulb. Whatever, no one will even notice. No one notices anything anymore.


	5. Truth Hurts

**Alex POV**

I didn't mean to make small talk with her, it just came out. When I heard her yell out about maintenance I just got lost in how calming it felt to hear her. I've been working so hard to ignore her for weeks and to keep my control that it finally felt good to let down my anger for a second. I didn't even realize I was talking to her until I heard her yell out, "Shit, Shit, Shit. God damnit I don't need this shit right now." "Why? Got a lot of fun things planned for today's night in prison?" "Fuck you." Geez that was a little uncalled for, what's her problem? I'm finally talking to her and she gets mad at me? "Geez ok, I was kidding. What's your problem?" Oh shit. I immediately regret asking her that and before I know it Piper snaps.

After she walks out, I'm left dumbfounded. It hadn't really clicked in my head that she didn't know if I was alive all that time. Yeah sure people thought I was dead or hurt but so what I came back. Piper though isn't everyone else. The look on her face just now was unlike anything I've seen before almost like her thoughts and memories of that time were haunted. I wanted to hold her and tell her that I was here and alive but she ran off and so much of me is still so hurt and callused. She was right though. I did risk my own life by lying to her and ratting out Kubra and I did open myself to getting hurt and I oddly get how she thought she could protect me by bringing me back to this cage.

"Piper! Piper please stop." I grab ahold of her arm after nearly chasing her down the hall. She sharply pulls it away leaving me cold for her. I had missed her touch for so long and it hurts to have it and then have it taken away so quickly and even more it hurts that part of me feels anger from her touch. She just stands there with tears falling down from her seething eyes on to her cheek. We are standing in the hallway so I pull her into the closet next to us. She has her back turned to me crossing her arms holding herself. As much as I feel betrayed, I can't help wanting to protect her and take away her pain.

I move closer to her and put my hand on her back and she shrugs and tries to move away but I stop her by wrapping my arms around her holding her tight. We both breathe out a big sigh of mixed emotions. I feel tears falling on to my arm and can feel her breaking down even more in my arms and before you know it I try to choke out words but can't get past my own tears. We just stand there for a few minutes before I break the silence, "Piper, I'm angry. I am so angry that you left me when my mom died. I am angry that you chose Larry over me and then come to find out you chose Stella over me too. Red told me she saw you two together. I'm angry that you took my life into your own hands and took my control and forced me to come back here. God Piper I am so angry and hurt but I know I am not the only one here that is angry. I hurt you too. I ratted you out too after years of not speaking to each other and I involved you in my job when I shouldn't have. Remember when you told me that when we get out of here, I could be a gardener and you could be an electrician and we can get a truck and just live life together? I could have given that to you. God I could have done and been anything for you Piper, but I don't know how to do that anymore. I got that dream beaten out of me. I got everything beaten and taken from me by you, my own self, and so many others. I love you Piper but things can't be the same not right now, maybe one day but to be honest I don't know if they will ever be, but I love you even as much as I don't want to and as much as I wish my anger could take over everything. I'm sorry that I didn't see how this all could have hurt you. I'm alive Piper and I'm here and that will have to do for now."

To be continued…

(Sorry I completely changed this chapter, but it just didn't feel right. Alex has gone through a lot and always gives into Piper and its about time she fights for herself and holds Piper accountable for her actions. I promise though this isn't it for them! Please feel free to review! Peace.)


	6. Reality Hurts

**(Before you read this chapter, PLEASE go back and re-read the last one. I edited it and changed the ending. It just didn't feel true to their characters the way I left it before. Sorry about that!)**

 **Piper POV**

Alex left. _She left._ I have no idea how long I have been standing here holding myself trying to stay together but she actually left. I know I've pushed her away before but I always thought she would come back, but now I don't actually think she will. A tear falling on my arm brings me back to reality and I become completely aware that I haven't stopped crying since I told her how I felt.

 _She left._

Fuck, what did I do? How did Red find out about me and Stella? How could Alex think that I actually replaced her? I know I shouldn't have cheated on Alex but yeah I admit I was fucking lonely and selfish and Alex was so paranoid and she wasn't even paying attention to me anymore. Stella did pay attention, she pursued me and flirted with me and yeah I liked it. I don't know why I do it. I'm just glad she doesn't realize I cheated on her while we were together…wait, unless she does because why would she get so angry at me about that when _she_ broke up with _me_? Shit. I need to fix this. Maybe I can figure out a way for her to forgive me, maybe call off the panty operation and show her that I'm still the same version of Piper that she loves. To be honest though, I kind of love this new version of me though. I'm in control, people respect me and are scared of me, and I finally feel confident. Maybe I don't want to be the weak impressionable girl she fell for, that's what got me into this hellhole in the first place.

As I walk to my bunk, I can feel myself getting angrier and angrier. Before, I was just upset that she wasn't acknowledging me but now I'm upset that she only wants to acknowledge the parts of me that she likes. Yeah I'm manipulative but so was she. She told me she was in love with me and then she made me her drug mule. She manipulated me into proving my love for her by doing her dirty work. Yeah I left when her mom died and god I still feel terrible for that but what if I didn't leave would she still be using me? Would she have eventually ratted me out while we were together? Fuck. Of course she wouldn't have what am I thinking, but now body can't stop thinking of her touch. The way she held me means there has to be a chance. Maybe I will use my manipulative powers for good, just maybe.

(Bare with me, things are going to escalate and anger is going to come out with all the deeply rooted issues they have. Stay along for the ride and enjoy!)


	7. Two Bugs in a Rug

**Alex POV**

Piper has these mannerisms when she's deep in thought. She stares into thin air and her eyes just grow wider and wider every minute until finally she is pulled out of her trance and shakes it off. She's been doing it for the past 15 minutes. My bunk is exactly diagonal to hers and I've been torturing myself watching her this whole time. I might be angry with her by that doesn't mean I can simply turn off my attraction to her. I mean hell if you could see my view from her you'd be doing the same thing.

Lately I feel like she is taunting me from across the way. In the morning she started doing these deep long stretches after she takes off her nightgown. She never used to do that before so why is she starting now? I swear one time she winked at me. I think she's timing her showers to mine too because every time I look there she is naked in the shower next to me. Ugh I mean its just so hard to…No. No. No, I'm angry with her and I can't just let her seduce me into forgetting that! I'm not an idiot, I know she cheated on me. I might have been paranoid but that didn't mean I stopped being a girlfriend. I know she is playing a game with me, but its not going to work. She has some serious explaining to do and even more apologizing for all the shit she has done to me before I can even just entertain the idea of us again. That's the issue, she never apologizes. She just waits until I move on and forget about it, but I don't I just push it to the side. For the time being, I will just have to take a shower at a different time and sleep with my head on the other end of the bed.

That's better. This week has been Piper free so far and it feels great. Well, I mean it feels great that I'm not giving in to her game but I did enjoy it while it lasted. That was until now. "Hey, you are working really hard to avoid me again," said Piper with her typical inquisitive voice that she uses to answer her own damn questions. "I just wanted to switch things up a bit and keep them fresh since my sentence is extended," I say as I purposefully look at her while saying that. "Mhmm sure, whatever." "I just didn't want to be apart of the game you were playing." "What game?" "Oh please Piper, your tits and ass were basically in my bunk from those stretches you were doing every morning and you were timing your showers to mine and not to mention I could feel you staring a fucking hole in me in the cafeteria. I know what you're doing and its not going to work. Yeah you are hot and my god do you know all the right moves but that's not going to solve every fucking problem. How about when you apologize, we talk. I just want you to admit to one fucking thing that you've done wrong. I'm not asking for the moon Piper. I just want you to finally take some responsibility in our relationship." "Oh so we're in a relationship now?" "Wow Piper, it figures that was all you got out of what I just said. No we definitely are not. I'm getting back to work. Did you have laundry or were you just here to bug me?"

(Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it! Hope you still enjoy!)


	8. Once a Kibun

**Piper POV**

Apologize? Did she just say she wanted me to apologize? I've apologized to her so many times! Like that time when I…or how I…OK! So I haven't apologized to her but it hasn't been intentional. I just didn't realize it was such a big deal. God she's being so dramatic. I thought that when we got back together that was enough for her to realize I loved her and that everything was in the past.

I wish Nicki were here. She would tell me what to do. "Hey Kibun, don't think so much. It will ruin that little brain of yours." Well I guess Red is the next best option. "Red, am I really that much of a bitch?" "Oh boy" "I'm serious Red. I'm at a loss with Alex. She wants me to apologize but I don't know how to." "Well that's your problem Kibun. You never know when to admit your wrong. You walk around here like everyone owes you an apology but you never open your eyes to realize that it's you who owes the apology. You manipulate reality into your own ridiculous version of the truth. So yes the simple answer, you are a bitch." "Wow Red. You don't spare anything do you?" "You asked me a question Kibun." "God can you stop calling me that!" "What? Do you not like being called what you are?" "Ok Red you're right! I'm a manipulative bitch who can't even say two simple fucking words because it hurts too much too admit I fucked up everything good in my life." I can't believe I finally said that. It feels so refreshing to let that out. To be honest though I didn't realize this was how I felt until it came to the surface. I've been like this for so long. Before I even met Alex. I was tired of life, of my "perfect" family, and of everything I couldn't experience. I just got so used to never apologizing for everything and having things handed to me. So then I met Alex and everything changed and I started experiencing new things with someone who opened my eyes to life. God I need to tell her. I need to find her.

Where is she? Why can't I ever fucking find her when I need to? "Lorna, have you seen Alex?" "No Chapman, why?" "I just need to find her." "Hey Taystee where's Alex? Have you seen her?" "Yeah I saw her talking with some new inmate in the yard." "Wait, what girl?" I think to myself. "Your welcome," Taystee yells as I walk past her heading toward the yard. Who could see know?

Shit. You have got to be kidding me. "Hey Alex" "Chapman, you remember Vick my ex girlfriend from back home?" "Hey Vick nice to see you again. So what are you doing here?" "Tax evasion, real criminal stuff right? Whatever. I'm just glad I found someone I know here. Small world huh?," she says as she touches Alex's arm and stares at her. No. This cannot be happening just when I was ready to apologize. Alex can't be buying this can she? "Yeah Vick im glad you came to Linchfield, don't worry I'll be here to take care of you." I can't take this anymore. I just walk away and don't look back. Fuck why does this happen to me? First I walk away from her, then I get her back, then I walk away again, get her back, and now she's gone. Fuck. It's easier being a manipulative bitch.

(Hey all! I decided to add a new character. Hope you are cool with it! Thought I would spice things up even more and add a whole other layer of difficulty to see if Piper is willing to fight or just give up. Hope you enjoyed!)

 ***To answer the guest review...Kibun was mentioned in the second episode where Piper tells Red that Alex called her manipulative. Kibun is associated with the ideas about social harmony and good vibes. Red was suggesting that Piper will manipulate things to keep harmony and not take on the consequences from truth.**


	9. Daydreaming Flirtation

**Alex POV**

Is it bad to get so much enjoyment from Piper's anger and jealousy? When she walked away I couldn't help but smile. She's actually upset over my ex being here when she should know that even with all the shit she's put me through I'd still choose her. I just want her to acknowledge what she's done. I guess she still doesn't realize she was wrong. I know I was wrong and I told her. I've owned up to what I've done, I just wish she would do the same.

Vick was my girlfriend from back home. Dated for years on and off again, but it was one of those relationships where it's easier to stay together than break up, but finally I just had enough and walked away. It was refreshing though to see her. It kind of felt like back home when my mom was alive and before my life went to hell. "Hey Vause," Vick yelled shaking her hands in front of my face. "Oh hey Vick sorry, I was daydreaming I guess. What's up?" "Daydreaming about Chapman?" "What? No!...ok yes." "So you two are together?" "Well we broke up since you last saw us all those years ago and then we got back together once we both went to jail and well we've been on and off since." "Hmmm seems like that's your M.O. Isn't it?" "It's not like you and I. We just weren't meant to be together. Chapman and I are different. She is everything I want and need and so am I too her but look at us. We are in a fucking prison. It's not like we are going to run away together tomorrow, especially when we can't even deal with our crap today." "Wow. I didn't know you were capable of loving someone like that Vause." "Yeah well neither did I." "So what's the deal with you two right now?" "Well long story short she manipulated me into coming back here and that put me in danger with my drug boss and then wound up getting nearly beaten to death by one of his guys. So safe to say we aren't at our best." "Well she looked like she was about to eat me alive on the spot when I touched your arm. It seems like she loves you despite all the shit you've put each other through." "Yeah I guess. She was jealous wasn't she? It was kind of cute." "Want me to make her even more jealous?" "Hmm that could be kind of fun."

(Sorry it took so long. I'm on vacation,which is why this chapter is a bit short. Don't worry I will make up for it in the next chapter! Enjoy!)


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